Advice for choosing/finding an ESL teaching job

[N.A.]

Hello all,
I will be completing a month long intensive TESOL course over the course of the next month and then will be looking for a teaching gig asap. Although I do wish to begin working as soon as possible, I also do not want to sign a contract that will keep me in a less than optimal situation. I am a Native English speaker, born and raised in Canada (caucasian if that makes a difference), where I recieved my University degree, but have no classroom experience (have experience with children however, teaching sports teams for example). I will be applying to the NET system, however this is really a just-in-case application, hoping for the off-chance that someone may drop out throughout the course of this year and they desperately need someone fast.
More realistically speaking though, does anyone have any advice for what type of company I should be seeking or avoiding? I will need to be sponsered, and am looking for a salary of 18-22k hkd a month. I have seen many job postings for english learning centres that will sponsor, but I have heard these places get you to sign long term contracts for low salaries and long working hours (6 days a week). Any advice from those that have been in my situation would be greatly appreciated.

[chingleutsch]

It's a fact of life here that ESL jobs in language tuition centres are about the bottom of the expat food chain, which does tend to mean cr*p pay and conditions. There are exceptions - so I'm told - with decent bosses and classrooms larger than rabbit hutches, but you have to do Due Diligence to find them. Websites like Dave's ESL Cafe are good places to start. It's also a fact of life that if you want almost any employer in any field in HK to sponsor you for a work permit you are going to need to sign a minimum one year contract.
If you don't fancy this idea, I would look at doing some short-term / casual gigs of TESL teaching where you are now and wait for a real NET job.

[JonathanCC]

what chinleutsch said.

if you want a half-decent job, you'll want to hold out for an edb or international school rather than tutorial centre. even then, if my experience is anything to go on, the principals will ask you all sorts of charming personal questions, bypassing pedagogy and training altogether.

generally, at least one year's experience teaching and the ability to interview in person (despite the fact that you'll probably already have been interviewed in canada by net recruiters) is desired.

for your year's experience, if you can't get on local canadian boards' l/t occasional lists - and if you're in the toronto area - google places like 'Marilake' and 'Success Tutorial School' , which are attended almost exclusively hk immigrant kids and always looking for nets.

good luck!

[N.A.]

Thanks a lot for the posts guys. I am actually in HK already, my girlfriend teaches at an international school and I came over originally to do my masters but am looking at a career change now. I am fairly desperate to start getting some income so it seems I may have to settle for a learning centre and some tutoring, however I am worried about them making me sign more than a 1 year contract.
Realistically speaking, do you think it is possible to find a language centre that will pay me at least 18k a month for a 5 day working week?